Improvement in steam-boilers



UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN YH. AMES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-BOILERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 16.203, dated February 7, 1865.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. AMES, of Baltimore, county of Baltimore, State oflVIaryland, have iiiven ted a new and useful ImprovementinSuperheating Steam in Steam-Boilers 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through a steam-boiler, taken in the plane indicated by the red line ma, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through Fig. l, taken in the vertical plane indicated by red line y y thereon.

Similar letters of. reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention relates to a novel improvement in steam-boilers, whereby one portion of the steam-space therein is adapted for superheating the steam and another portion is adapted for producing saturated or common steam, both of said spaces being so formed that a uniform water-level can be maintained in the boiler, and the steam which is generated in either one or both spaces conducted into the steam-pipe and there mixed together in suitable proportions, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation. y

In the accompanying drawings I have represented my invention applied to a horizontal boiler, although I do not limit its use exclusively to this form of boiler.

A represents the shell ofthe boiler; B, the ti re-place; O, the steam-dome, and D the steampipe which conducts the steam to the chests. These parts may all be constructed and arranged in the usual or in any suitable manner.

E represents the tlues leading horizontally through the water-space of the boiler; and E represents lines which lead from the dre-place B upward above the water-level and out at the opposite end of thebioiler. These tiues or tubes E are prevented from being injured by the heat of the iire in fireplace B by arranging their forward ends beneath the water-level, and when thus submerged in the water these ends will not be liable to injury, while the main portion of these tliies are conducted through the steain-space A', as shown in Fig. 1. The steam-space A is separated from a steam-space, A2, at the forward end `of the boiler by means of diaphragm-plates b c,which are arranged in a vertical position, butin different planes, so that there will be a space between them, aid also a narrow space at the bottom of the plate c, as shownin Figs. l and 2. These diaphragms b c are arranged in front of the vertical portion ofthe steampipe D, so ai to collect the saturated or common steam in the steam dome O and in the space A2 below this dome. By thus arranging the diap'iragms it will be seen that there will bea uniform pressure in both of the steam-spaces,

, and consequently a uniform water-level.

The steam which is generated in the main boiler-space A is superheated by the lire-dues E', which are arranged as above described, and the steam which is generated in the forward Steamspace, A2, is saturated with moisture, or what iscommonlytermed wet steam.7 rFhese two forms of steam, which are produced in the same boiler, I propose to mix in certain proportions if it is found that the superheated steam alone is injurous to the material of the engine, and to e'ect this mixture practically I apply a secondary pipe, G, to the steam-pipe D, which communicates with the steam-space A2, containing the saturated steam. In the forward end of this secondary pipe I apply a valve of any suitable form, vwhich is operated by means ot' the stem g and crank h, leading through the front sheet of the boiler, as shown in Fig. 1. By opening' the valve just described the steam in space A2 will escape into the steam-pipe D and mix with the steam which was supcrheated in the space A', and thus mixed the superheated steam becomes less elastic and less injurious to the engine. By regulating the size of the valve-opening through which the surchaiged or saturated steam escapes into the steampipe D the proportions of the two forms of steam can he varied at pleasuce.

In order to be understood with respect to the foregoing description of my invention, I will make the following statement as to the theory thereof: I do not claim that a total separation of the two characters of steam is effected; but I propose to effect separation enough to accomplish all that is necessary for regulating the temperature of the main body of the steam and still maintain the equilibrium of the water levels and pressure. In my arrangement a natural mixing is intended in proportion of three-fourths hot steam to onefourth wet steam, or otherwise, as the case may require. Upon the supposition that the surface of the re-box does half the work of evaporation, then, as a matter of more complete control, the valve in the pipe G is placed as near the water level as practicable, so as to ,eet steam of the utmost saturation. The pipe G, being the shortest and Inost direct path, would of course be followed by the steam, and in case the temperature was nor sufficiently reduced by the mixing at the mouthofthepipel) a stillfnrther reduction would take place atthe iunction G D. l/Vhen the engine is under way, the currents tend toward the mouth ot' the main pipe. Vhen standing, Whether they are in a state ofisolation or not makes no di'erence. I do not believe the temperature of the main body can to any extent aii'ect that ofthe steam behind the diaphragm, for ot' necessity the currents are in opposite directions. It' steam is a convector and not a conductor of heat, then this must hold good. Would not the ett'ect of the hot steam upon that separated by the plates be much the same as that arising from applying' heat to the top ot'a vessel ot water or thejunction of two steains of different teinperatures with a common outlet.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters f Y JOHN H. AMES.

Witnesses L. F. FRIUK, JOHN A. SMITH. 

